Delivery chute for vending machines



April 14, 1931. J, F, MEYER 1,801,100

DELIVERY CHUTE FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Nov. 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES JOHN FRANKLIN MEYER, 0F FLINTRIDGE, CALIFORNA DELIVERY CHUTE FOR VENDIN G MACHINES Application led November 21929. Serial No. 404,421.

This invention relates to delivery mechanism for vending machines and similar devices, and particularly those adapted to the handling of unpackaged candies and other food stuffs.

The object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary delivery mechanism by which the goods will be discharged from a closed receptacle directly into the hand of the person receiving them, whereby the goods will not of necessity come into contact with any permanently open receptacle which is susceptible to catching and to the accumulatin of undesirable matter.

n the accompanyingr drawings:

F ig. -1 is a front elevation of a sanitary delivery mechanism made in accordance with the principles of my invention;

F ig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 33, Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawings, my invention comprises a front plate 1, adapted to cover an aperture 2 formed in the wall 3, of a vending machine, or other supporting structure, and secured thereto by bolts or screws 4.

In the plate 1 is formed an opening 5 having an upper edge 6 which curves downwardly at its center from juncture points 7, 7 on the oppositely disposed and substantially parallel side edges 8, 8 of the opening 5. The bottom edge 9 of-thevopening 5, in the present instance, is straight and substantially parallel to a line drawn from one to the other of the juncture points 7, 7, however, the bottom edge 9 and side edges 8, 8 of the opening 5 may be curved or any other desired shape without departing from the essential features of the present invention.

Above the opening' 5 the front plate 1 is provided with a second opening 10 which is located directly above the opening 5 and is separated therefrom by a horizontal rail 11, the bottom edge of which forms the upper curved edge 6 of the opening 5.

The opening 10 is normally closed by a plate of glass or other transparent material 12, which tits within a groove 13 formed in the upper edge 14 of the rail 11 and in grooves 15, 15 formed in rearwardly extending pro- ]ections 16 on the rear face of the plate 1. The side edges 18, 18 of the upper opening 10 are substantially parallel and in alignment with the side edges 8, 8, of the lower openlng 5, and the upper edge 19 of the upper opening 10 is substantially parallel to the lower edge 9 of the lower opening 5 and also parallel to the upper edge 14 of the rail 11 which forms the lower edge of the upper opening 10.

Around the openings 5, 10, on the outer face of' the plate 1 is formed a bead 20 which around the upper edge 19 and side edges 18,

18 of the upper opening 10 is substantially 65 parallel to the said edges and to the plane of the front fact of the plate 1.

The lower portion of the bead 20, at and adjacent the lower edge 9 of the lower openings 5 is curved upwardly from the said edge 70 19 and outwardly from the plane of the plate l as clearly illustrated at 21 in Figs. 2 and 3.

Situated behind the glazed opening 10 is a receptacle 25 into which a chute 26, which receives the goods from the vending machine proper, discharges such goods.

The receptacle 25, in the present instance, comprises a closed top 27, sides 28, 28, back 29, and a movable bottom 30.

The sides 28, 28 and back 29 taper inward- 80 ly adjacent the bottom 30 and the bottom 30 is curved or concaved downwardly from its opposite sides toward its center, and at the same time is inclined forwardly so that goods delivered to the receptacle 25 will be con- 85 centrated on the movable bottom 30, at its center. and forwardly toward the glazed front 10 of the receptacle 25, the curvature of the front portion of the movable bottom 30 corresponding to the curvature of the lower edge 6 of the cross rail 11, with which it normally engages.

The forward end 31 of the movable bottom 30 projects outwardly beyond the plane 95 of the plate 1 and is curved outwardly along its forward edge as shown in Fig. 3.

Disposed behind the lower opening 5 is a second receptacle 35 which along its top edge fits against inclined portions 28a and 100 29a of the side and read walls 28 and 29 respectively, of the upper receptacle 25.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, these inclined walls 28a and 29a lie above land overlap the adjacent edges of the movable bottom 30, the side and rear edges of the bottom 30 lying within a cavity 36 formed between the walls of the upper receptacle 25 and walls of the lower receptacle 35.

The movable bottom 30 is pivoted along its rear edge 37, on a rod 38 which is mounted at its opposite ends in the side walls 39, 39 of the lower receptacle 35, which are substantially flat and parallel to each other and joined at their back and lower edges by a curved rear wall 40, which at its forward edge joins the curved portion 21 of the bead 20, at the lower edge 9 of the lower opening 5 in the front plate 1.

The movable bottom 30 is rearwardly extending lugs or hubs 41, 41, through which the pivot rod 38 extends, a spring 42 being coiled about the rod 38 between the hubs 41, 41 with one end 43 bearing against the under side of the movable bottom 30 and its opposite end 44 engaging the curved wall of the lower receptacle 35, so that the forward portion of the bottom adjacent the front edge 31 thereof will be normally maintained in contact with the curved lower edge 6 of the rail 11.

Projecting from the lower side of the movable bottom 30 of the upper receptacle 25, and into the lower receptacle 35, is a lug or fin er plate 45.

n operation the merchandise discharged by the vending machine, or other delivery device, into the delivery chute 26 falls by gravity into the upper receptacle 25, in which it may be viewed through the glazed 'opening 10 therein.

The inclined side and back walls of the upper receptacle and the concaved and inclined bottom 30 of the upper receptacle 25 concentrate the merchandise at the forward end of the bottom 30, against the said glazed front 10 and rail 11.

Inv this way the delivered merchandise is sanitarily contained Within the closed receptacle 25, to be retrieved by the vendee.

In order vto retrieve the merchandise the vendee cups his hand in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, pressing the ends of the fingers a ainst the finger plate 45 in the direction o the arrow w, which turns the scooplike bottom 3() about its pivot 38, releasing the concaved front end 31 of the bottom 30 from the lower curved edge 6 of the rail 11, the material contained in the upper receptacle 25 sliding along the concaved bottom 30 into the cupped hand of the receiver or vendee.

After the contents of the upper receptacle has been delivered into the hand of the vendee the movable bottom 30 will return to its provided with 35 normal receptacle-closing position, under the inuence of the spring 42, when the bottom is released from the pressure exerted on the finger plate 45 by the ends of the vendees fingers.

The lower receptacle 35 serves two purposes, i. e., it provides a cavity for the machine into which the hand of the vendee is placed when operating the movable bottom 30 of the upper receptacle; and it also serves as an emergency receptacle to catch any of the loose mechandise which may not be caught in the hand of the vendee, thus preventing the goods from falling onto the ground. This is especially desirable in devices which can be operated by very small children.l

The upwardly curved front end 21 of the lower receptacle 35 acts as a dam or stop for any goods falling into the lower receptacle l claim:

1. In a delivery mechanism for vending machines and the like, the combination of a receptacle adapted to receive the goods'to be discharged from the device, a concaved bottom for said receptacle pivotally mounted adjacent one edwe of the receptacle, means for resiliently maintaining the bottom in a normal receptacle-closing position, and a fingerengaging element projecting downwardly from the underside of said pivotally mounted bottom, the Wall of said receptacle opposite to the pivot of the bottom having a lower edge curved in accordance with the curvature of the concave of the bottom and normally engaging the concaved surface thereof.

2. In a delivery mechanism for vending machines and the like, the combination of a receptacle adapted to receive the goods to be, discharged from the device, a concaved bottom for said receptacle pivotally mounted adjacent one edge of the receptacle, means for resiliently maintaining the bottom in a normal receptacle-closing position, a linger-engaging element projecting downwardly from the underside of said pivotally mounted bottom, the wall of said receptacle opposite to the pivot of the bottom having a lower edge curved in accordance with the curvature of the concave of the bottom and normallyA engaging 'the concaved surface thereof, and a second receptaclennderlying said first receptacle and having an open side at the free end of said pivoted bottom.

3. In a delivery mechanism for vending machines and the like, the combination of a front plate having a glazed opening and an unobstructed opening below the glazed opening, a closed receptacle secured to the front plate behind the glazed opening, a second receptacle secured to the front plate behind the unobstructed opening, a bottom for the first said receptacle disposed in a substantially horizontal plane between the two said receptacles and pivotally mounted adjacent the back wall of one of said receptacles and inclined4 downwardly from the pivot toward Y the said front plate.

4. In a delivery mechanism for vending machines and the like, the combination of al front plate having a glazed opening and an unobstructed opening below the glazed opening, a closed receptacle secured to the front plate behind the glazed opening, a second receptacle secured to the front plate behind the unobstructed opening, the walls of the first said receptacle being inclined and projecting inwardly beyond the walls of the lower receptacle, a bottom for the first said receptacle disposed in a substantially horizontal plane between the two said receptacles with its edges overlapped by the inclined walls of the first said receptacle, means for pivotally supporting said bottom along its edge dis! posed opposite to the said front plate, and means for resiliently maintaining the said bottom in a position to close the bottom of said upper receptacle. l

5. In a delivery mechanism for vending machines and the like, the combination of a front plate having a glazed opening and an unobstructed opening `below the glazed opening, a closed receptacle secured to the front plate behind the glazed opening, a second receptacle secured to the front plate behind thc unobstructed opening, the walls of the first said receptacle being inclined and projecting inwardly'beyond the wallsof the lower receptacle, a concaved bottom for the first said receptacle disposed in asubstantially horizontal plane between the two said receptacles with its edges overlapped by the inclined walls of the first said receptacle, means for pivotally supporting said bottom along its edge disposed opposite to the said front plate, a cross bar on said front plate between the glazed and-- unobstructed opening therein and having a downwardly curved lower edge adapted to it the concave of said bottom projecting outwardly from under said cross bar, and means for resiliently maintaining the said bottom in a position to close the bottom of said upper receptacle.

6. In a delivery mechanism for vending machines and the like, the combination of a front plate having a glazed opening and an unobstructed opening below the glazed opening, a closed receptacle secured to the front plate behind the glazed opening, a second receptacle secured to thev front plate behind the unobstructed open'- ing, the walls of the first said receptacle being inclined and projecting inwardly beyond the walls of the lower receptacle, a concaved bottom for the first said receptacle disposed in a substantially horizontal plane between the two said receptacles with its edges overlapped by the inclined walls of the first said rceptacle, means for pivotally supporting said bottom along its edge disposed opposite to the said front plate, a cross bar on said front plate between the glazed and unobstructed opening therein and having a downwardly curved lower edge ada ted to fit the concave of said bottom projecting outwardly from under said cross bar, means for resiliently maintaining the said bottom in a position to close the bottom of said upper receptacle, and a finger plate formed on the underside of said bottom and lying within the said lower receptacle.

7. In a delivery mechanism for vending machines and the like, the combination of a. front plate having a glazed opening and an unobstructed opening below the glazed opening, a closed receptacle secured to the front plate behind the glazed opening, a second receptacle secured to the front plate behind the unobstructed opening, the walls of the first said receptacle being inclined and projecting inwardly beyond the walls of the lower receptacle, a concaved bottom for the first said receptacle disposed in a substantially horizontal plane between the two said receptacles with its edges overlapped by the inclined walls of the first said receptacle, means for pivotally supporting lsaid bottom alon its edge disposed opposite to the said ront plate, a cross bar on said front plate between the glazed and unobstructed opening therein and having a downwardly curved lower edge adapted to fit the concave of said bottom rojecting outwardly from under said cross ar, means for resiliently maintaining the said bottom in a, position to close` the bottom of said upper receptacle, and a finger plate formed on the underside of said bottom and lying within the said lower receptacle, said front plate having a bead extending outwardly therefrom around the said openings, said bead being curved upwardly and outwardly from the lower `edge of the lower opening to form a projecting extension for said lower receptacle.

JOHN FRANKLIN lWEYER. 

